Crack the Skye | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | March 24, 2009 [1] | |||
Recorded | April–September 2008 [2] [3] | |||
Studio | Southern Tracks Studios, Atlanta, Georgia | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 50:03 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer | Brendan O'Brien | |||
Mastodon chronology | ||||
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Singles from Crack the Skye | ||||
Crack the Skye is the fourth studio album by American heavy metal band Mastodon, released on March 24, 2009, through Reprise, Sire and Relapse Records. [7] [8] The album debuted at number 11 on the Billboard 200, selling 41,000 copies in its first week. [9] In Australia, the album debuted at number 19. [10] It had sold 200,000 copies in the US as of September 2010, making it one of their highest-selling albums to date. [11]
According to an interview on the DVD The Making of Crack the Skye, this album represents the element of aether, which is represented by the souls and spirits of all things, a theme closely related to the context of the album. Because the elements of fire, water and earth have already been represented by the band's first three albums Remission , Leviathan , Blood Mountain and the band's seventh album Emperor of Sand , respectively, the element of air is the only classical element which has yet to be represented by a Mastodon album, as their follow-up studio albums The Hunter and Once More 'Round the Sun do not represent an element, nor are they concept albums.
Crack the Skye is the first studio album to feature drummer Brann Dailor as the band's third lead vocalist.
Drummer Brann Dailor described the album as more "focused" than its predecessor, Blood Mountain : "Maybe there was a deeper heart to this record that needed more exploring ... We got more involved with feeling the vibe of the record and everything feels more creepy and spaced out and something special is going on." [12] During the composition of the record, Brent Hinds listened to In the Court of the Crimson King by King Crimson every day as inspiration, while Dailor and Troy Sanders listened to Pink Floyd's Animals . [13]
Vocalist/bassist Troy Sanders said in an interview with Stereogum, "Crack the Skye is a departure from everything we've previously recorded in the sense that we kinda strapped on our aeroshells and departed from Earth for a while, and then captained to the ethereal element of the universe and kind of slept on the roof of the world for a while to get a perspective on this record. ... Basically we're exploring the ethereal world. We're dissecting the dark matter that dominates the universe, in a nutshell." [14]
When asked in multiple interviews Dailor said the record would tell a story dealing variously with the art aesthetics of Tsarist Russia, astral travel, out of body experiences and Stephen Hawking's theories on wormholes. [15]
There is a paraplegic and the only way that he can go anywhere is if he astral travels. He goes out of his body, into outer space and a bit like Icarus, he goes too close to the sun, burning off the golden umbilical cord that is attached to his solar plexus. So he is in outer space and he is lost, he gets sucked into a wormhole, he ends up in the spirit realm and he talks to spirits telling them that he is not really dead. So they send him to the Russian cult, they use him in a divination and they find out his problem. They decide they are going to help him. They put his soul inside Rasputin's body. Rasputin goes to usurp the czar and he is murdered. The two souls fly out of Rasputin's body through the crack in the sky(e) and Rasputin is the wise man that is trying to lead the child home to his body because his parents have discovered him by now and think that he is dead. Rasputin needs to get him back into his body before it's too late. But they end up running into the Devil along the way and the Devil tries to steal their souls and bring them down ... there are some obstacles along the way. [16]
Dailor has also said that "Crack the Skye" is meant as a homage to his sister, Skye Dailor, who committed suicide at age 14. [17]
My sister passed away when I was a teenager and it was awful, and there's no better way to pay tribute to a lost loved one than having an opportunity to be in a group with my friends and we make art together. Her name was Skye, so Crack the Skye means a lot of different things. For me personally, it means the moment of being told you lost someone dear to you, [that moment] is enough to crack the sky.
Scott Kelly, who guested on the title track, has this to say about the song:
That song was a really, really heavy song to do. That song was about Brann's sister and how she passed away, and it was a story that I was very familiar with from knowing Brann. When he decided to do that, he called me up to talk to me about it and said "this is what I wanna do" and "I really, really want you to sing the song" and I said, you know "sure, I will". I took it really seriously and I emailed with Brann's Dad a couple of times and just talked to him about Skye, and then he sent me a photograph of her actually, and I sat there and looked at that photograph of her and just kinda meditated on her and on all of the situation, and the family and then actually set all that shit up in the studio and recorded the song with her picture there, and I just really tried to do it as real as I felt I could.
Paul Romano, who had done all of Mastodon's album artwork to that point,[ citation needed ] created the art for Crack the Skye. [18] The piece features various ethereal images tied in closely with the overall concept of the record. Crack the Skye was released in two editions: the standard and limited edition. The latter has an elaborate packaging with a tunnel book that, when looked through, reveals three-dimensional-like imagery.[ citation needed ] A "hidden" picture of Brann Dailor's sister, Skye, can be seen on both sides of the tunnel book as well.[ citation needed ]
Crack the Skye has been released as standard CD version and CD/DVD version, which included a bonus DVD with a documentary and a track commentary. Furthermore, standard single-disc LP and limited-edition 2xLP were released. A "super-deluxe" CD/DVD version that includes a tunnel book and a lithograph of the album art sold out during pre-orders, and a "Royal Edition" with a CD of the instrumental versions of the songs and an entirely new black-and-gold artwork was released on December 15, 2009.
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 82/100 [19] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AbsolutePunk | 88% [20] |
AllMusic | [21] |
The Guardian | [22] |
The New York Times | positive [23] |
Paste | 9.0/10 [24] |
Pitchfork Media | 8.0/10 [25] |
PopMatters | [26] |
Rock Sound | [27] |
Rolling Stone | [28] |
Spin | [29] |
The initial critical response from music critics to Crack the Skye was very positive. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received a score of 82, based on 29 reviews, indicating "Universal Acclaim". [19]
Amongst the positive reviews received from critics was Total Guitar 's Nick Cracknell who awarded the album a 5/5 rating, describing it as "even more ambitious in scope and sound than 2006's Blood Mountain . Embracing elements of prog and country, but above all classic rock, Hinds and Kelliher literally add new dimensions to the band's ever-expanding sound." Decibel , who named Blood Mountain as their number 1 album of 2006, gave Crack the Skye a 7/10 rating as reviewer Joe Gross responded that "Crack is clearly designed as a grower, not a shower, the sound of a band that grew tired of people not responding to their ground game, so they put the ball in the air. Who knows when it will come down?" Clash 's review was particularly glowing in its praise for the album, saying "no metal release of 2009 is likely to be as important as Crack the Skye." The review praised the album's expansive sound and emotion, and finished by claiming that the album is "surely destined to become the stuff of legend". Reviewer Nate Chinen of The New York Times noted the album's "ambitious vision and vivid execution". [30] The New Yorker pop music critic Sasha Frere-Jones lists it as one of his favorite albums of the year on his personal blog [31] and, in an article for The New Yorker, called Crack the Skye a "deeply entertaining album". [32]
Crack the Skye was named amongst the most well received albums of 2009 by numerous music publications. Classic Rock magazine placed it a No. 3 of its Top Albums of 2009,[ citation needed ] while Kerrang! place it at No. 4 in its Top Albums of 2009.[ citation needed ] Time magazine placed "Crack the Skye" at No. 3 on its Top 10 Albums of 2009 list, [33] and Rock Sound named it their Album of the Year for 2009. In addition, Spin magazine listed it as the 17th best album of the year. [34] Rhapsody called it the 7th best album of 2009. [35] The album was also voted the No. 1 Album of 2009 by Metal Hammer 's critics and contributors. [36] In 2014, TeamRock put Crack the Skye at No. 57 on their Top 100 Greatest Prog Albums of All Time list, commenting: "Mastodon's 2009 album has the blood and thunder from previous releases, but takes everything to a new musical level. A restive and sophisticated piece of work from the prog heavyweights". [37]
The album was honored with a 2009 Metal Storm Award for Best Alternative Metal Album. [38] It also won the 2009 Danish Metal Award for Best International Metal Album. [39]
All tracks are written by Mastodon, except "Crack the Skye" (additional lyrics by Scott Kelly)
No. | Title | Lead vocals | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Oblivion" | Brann Dailor, Troy Sanders, Brent Hinds | 5:46 |
2. | "Divinations" | Hinds, Sanders | 3:38 |
3. | "Quintessence" | Hinds, Sanders | 5:27 |
4. | "The Czar"
| Hinds, Sanders | 10:54 |
5. | "Ghost of Karelia" | Sanders, Hinds | 5:24 |
6. | "Crack the Skye" (featuring Scott Kelly) | Kelly, Dailor, Sanders | 5:54 |
7. | "The Last Baron" | Hinds, Sanders | 13:00 |
Total length: | 50:03 |
Chart (2009) | Peak position [40] |
---|---|
Australian Albums (ARIA) [10] | 19 |
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) | 42 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) | 26 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) | 73 |
Canadian Albums ( Billboard ) [41] | 13 |
Danish Albums (Hitlisten) | 37 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) | 56 |
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) | 6 |
French Albums (SNEP) | 106 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [42] | 36 |
Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ) [43] | 38 |
Irish Albums (IRMA) [44] | 37 |
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) | 23 |
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) | 6 |
Scottish Albums (OCC) [45] | 27 |
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) | 23 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) | 58 |
UK Albums (OCC) | 34 |
US Billboard 200 [46] | 11 |
US Top Alternative Albums ( Billboard ) [47] | 4 |
US Top Hard Rock Albums (Billboard) [48] | 3 |
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard) [49] | 4 |
US Top Tastemakers (Billboard) [50] | 1 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI) [51] | Silver | 60,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Mastodon is an American heavy metal band from Atlanta, Georgia. Formed in 2000, the band's lineup of Troy Sanders (bass/vocals), Brent Hinds, Bill Kelliher and Brann Dailor (drums/vocals) has remained unchanged since 2001. Mastodon has released eight studio albums, as well as a number of other releases. The band's 2002 debut album, Remission, garnered significant critical acclaim for its unique sound. Mastodon's second full-length release, Leviathan, is a concept album based on the novel Moby-Dick by Herman Melville. Three magazines awarded the record "Album of the Year" in 2004: Revolver, Kerrang! and Terrorizer.
Leviathan is the second album by American heavy metal band Mastodon, released in 2004 on Relapse Records. It is Mastodon's first concept album, loosely based on the 1851 novel Moby-Dick by Herman Melville. The songs "Iron Tusk," "Naked Burn," and "Blood and Thunder" were released as promotional singles, and music videos were created for "Iron Tusk," "Blood and Thunder," and "Seabeast". Three magazines awarded the album Album of the Year in 2004: Revolver, Kerrang! and Terrorizer. In 2009 and 2015 MetalSucks named Leviathan the best metal album of the 21st century.
Brann Timothy Dailor is an American musician, best known as a member of heavy metal band Mastodon, in which he is the drummer and one of three vocalists.
Remission is the debut album by American heavy metal band Mastodon. It was released on May 28, 2002 through Relapse Records. A deluxe edition was released on October 21, 2003.
Call of the Mastodon is a compilation album of early recordings from the American metal band Mastodon. It was released on February 7, 2006, by Relapse Records.
Blood Mountain is the third full-length studio album and major label debut by American metal band Mastodon. The recording of the album finished in April 2006 and it was released on September 12 in the UK and September 12, 2006 in North America through Reprise Records. The album in full could be streamed at the band's MySpace page a few days prior to the release.
Troy Jayson Sanders is an American musician, best known as the bassist and one of the vocalists of heavy metal band Mastodon. He is also active in the supergroups Killer Be Killed and Gone Is Gone and is the current touring bassist for rock band Thin Lizzy.
William Brent Hinds is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist of the Atlanta, Georgia heavy metal band Mastodon, in which he shares guitar duties with Bill Kelliher and vocal duties with Troy Sanders and Brann Dailor.
Oblivion is the second single from Crack the Skye by American progressive metal band Mastodon. It is their second-most successful single and song from Crack the Skye, reaching #30 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart; however, it has since been surpassed by "Curl of the Burl," which peaked at #16. It is the opening track on the band's live album Live At The Aragon.
Jonah Hex: Revenge Gets Ugly EP is the official score for the 2010 film Jonah Hex directed by Jimmy Hayward and starring Josh Brolin. It was composed by American heavy metal band Mastodon and film composer Marco Beltrami. It was released digitally on June 29, 2010, through Reprise Records.
Live at the Aragon is a live CD/DVD by the metal band Mastodon. It was released on March 15, 2011. It was filmed on October 17, 2009 during a Mastodon live show in the historic Aragon Ballroom of Chicago, part of their world tour to support their fourth album, Crack the Skye. It features Crack the Skye at its entirety as well as other Mastodon songs from Remission, Leviathan and Blood Mountain, their first, second and third records respectively. To promote the album the band released the live versions of "Oblivion", "Ghost of Karelia" and "Crack the Skye" on YouTube. The DVD also features the Crack the Skye film, which is the album in video format, in its entirety.
The Hunter is the fifth studio album by American heavy metal band Mastodon. Released through Roadrunner Records on September 26, 2011, in the UK and one day later in the US via Reprise Records, The Hunter is their first release with producer Mike Elizondo. In its first week of release in the UK, the album reached number 19 on the UK Albums Chart and position number 10 on the Billboard 200 chart selling over 39,000 copies in the first week. As of December 2011, The Hunter has sold over 75,133 copies in the United States.
"Curl of the Burl" is a single by American heavy metal band Mastodon from their fifth studio album, The Hunter. It was released August 16, 2011, as the second single from the album. The single was the band's most successful song on the Mainstream Rock Songs chart at release, peaking at No. 15. It would eventually lose its title to Emperor of Sand's "Show Yourself". It was nominated for a 2011 Grammy award in the category Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance.
Once More 'Round the Sun is the sixth studio album by American heavy metal band Mastodon. It was released on June 24, 2014, via Reprise Records. On April 17, 2014, Mastodon released the album's first single, "High Road". On June 16, 2014, the album was made available for streaming on iTunes. Once More 'Round the Sun sold around 34,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 6 on the Billboard 200 chart, making it the band's highest-peaking album on the chart and their second consecutive Top 10 debut after their previous album, The Hunter, peaked at No. 10.
"The Motherload" is a song by American progressive metal band Mastodon. The song was released as the third and final single from the band's sixth studio album, Once More 'Round the Sun.
Emperor of Sand is the seventh studio album by American heavy metal band Mastodon. It was released on March 31, 2017 through record label Reprise Records. The album's first single, "Show Yourself", peaked at number 4 on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart in 2017. The second single, "Steambreather", peaked at number 18 on the same chart. It was ranked on several year-end lists, including at number three on The Independent's "Top 20 Rock & Metal Albums of 2017".
Live at Brixton is the second live album by metal band Mastodon. It was released in December 2013 as a digital only release, and on April 19, 2014, as a Record Store Day exclusive Vinyl.
"Show Yourself" is a single by American progressive metal band Mastodon, off of their studio album Emperor of Sand. It peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart in 2017, making it their highest-charting song to date.
Gaylord was an American rock band active from late 1995 until 2010.
Arcadea is an American synth-metal supergroup from Atlanta, formed in 2015 by Mastodon drummer Brann Dailor, Zruda guitarist Core Atoms, and guitarist Raheem Amlani. Arcadea's self-titled album was released in June 2017 via Relapse Records.
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